(a) The Secretary of State shall not certify or conditionally approve a direct recording electronic voting system unless the system includes an accessible voter verified paper audit trail.

(b) On and after January 1, 2006, a city or county shall not contract for or purchase a direct recording electronic voting system unless the system has been certified or conditionally approved for use by the Secretary of State.

Terms Used In California Elections Code 19270

  • Accessible: means that the information provided on the paper cast vote record from the voter verified paper audit trail mechanism is provided or conveyed to voters via both a visual and a nonvisual method, such as through an audio component. See California Elections Code 19271
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Direct recording electronic voting system: means a voting system that records a vote electronically and does not require or permit the voter to record his or her vote directly onto a tangible ballot. See California Elections Code 19271
  • Voter: means any elector who is registered under this code. See California Elections Code 359
  • Voter verified paper audit trail: means a paper cast vote record containing a copy of each of the voter's selections that allows each voter to confirm his or her selections before the voter casts his or her ballot for systems that do not contain a paper ballot. See California Elections Code 19271
  • Voting system: means a mechanical, electromechanical, or electronic system and its software, or any combination of these used for casting a ballot, tabulating votes, or both. See California Elections Code 362

(c) As of January 1, 2006, all direct recording electronic voting systems in use on that date, regardless of the date it was contracted for or purchased, shall have received federal qualification and include an accessible voter verified paper audit trail. If the direct recording electronic voting system does not include an accessible voter verified paper audit trail, the system shall be replaced or modified to include an accessible voter verified paper audit trail.

(d) All direct recording electronic voting systems shall include a method by which a voter may electronically verify, through a nonvisual method, the information that is contained on the paper record copy of that voter’s ballot.

(e) A paper record copy that is printed by a voter verified paper audit trail component shall be printed in the same language that the voter used when casting his or her ballot on the direct recording electronic voting system. For languages that lack a written form, the paper record copy shall be printed in English.

(Added by renumbering Section 19250 by Stats. 2013, Ch. 602, Sec. 66. (SB 360) Effective January 1, 2014.)

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